Customer Business Lead, West Region

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At Lactalis in the USA, we're committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive-whether you're just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we're proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani Italian cheeses and ricotta, President specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone's cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond cheddar, and Parmalat milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi's, Stonyfield Organic, Brown Cow, Oui, Yoplait, Go-Gurt, :ratio, Green Mountain Creamery, and Mountain High, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun, Gopi, and Arz.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values-Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone's unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don't meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy.

From your PASSION to ours

Lactalis Heritage Dairy, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Customer Business Lead, West Region. This is a fully remote position, with a preference for candidates located in the Midwest or Western regions to best support the business and customer base.

The Customer Business Lead (CBL) is responsible for leading a team of Customer Category Managers (CCMs) and driving volume, revenue, and gross profit performance across assigned customers. This role is accountable for developing and executing customer-specific strategies by understanding each customer's unique business needs and opportunities. Working closely with their team, the CBL oversees key business levers including pricing, shelving, merchandising, and distribution to deliver strong business results and sustainable growth.

This position supports West Regional customers, including accounts such as Hy-Vee, Schnucks, Brookshire Brothers, Stater Bros., WinCo, and other key regional partners.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Lead, support, and develop the assigned sales team to achieve growth objectives and deliver business results; spend time in the field partnering with customers and supporting team success.
• Develop and execute strategic plans to drive business growth across the region.
• Build a strong understanding of customer priorities, objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify opportunities and deliver value.
• Create customer-specific sales and account strategies that align customer goals with company initiatives and operational priorities.
• Partner with and leverage cross-functional teams, including Category Management, Sales Finance, Shopper Marketing, and other internal resources, to drive business performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customer stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Oversee the development and delivery of customer presentations and business reviews.
• Manage customer P&L performance and drive achievement of financial objectives, including growth, profitability, and trade investment targets.
• Lead trade spending and promotional strategies to maximize customer and business results.
• Provide key insights and input into demand planning and the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process.
• Deliver category insights and customer learnings to support growth opportunities and strengthen category leadership.
• Build and develop a high-performing team through effective recruiting, talent assessment, coaching, mentorship, ongoing feedback, and actionable development planning.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of experience in CPG sales account management, preferably within the food industry.
• Previous experience leading, managing, or developing sales teams.
• Strong relationship-building and personal selling skills with the ability to influence and drive results.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data, identify opportunities, and develop actionable business plans.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage and influence various audiences.
• Proven ability to prioritize work, manage competing deadlines, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment.
• Adaptable and comfortable navigating change in a dynamic business environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. Further, any division of the Company that is an Affirmative Action Employer will comply with all related legal obligations.